Tim Hunter was a tough, fighting man who accumulated penalty minutes like a banker collects interest. Starting with the Kamloops Chiefs of the BCJHL, he duked his way through stints with the Seattle Breakers, Birmingham Bulls, and Nova Scotia Voyageurs en route to the NHL.

Hunter was selected 54th overall by the Atlanta Flames in the 1979 Entry Draft. He didn't make it to the parent club, however, until the team had made its transition to Calgary. That suited Hunter very well as he cites playing his first-ever NHL game before his hometown fans as one of two major highlights of his lengthy career.

Hunter's robust style of play fit like a boxing glove as his Flames engaged in the "Battles of Alberta" against Dave Semenko and the Oilers to the north. Through it all, Hunter and his team made it to the Stanley Cup finals in 1986 only to lose to Montreal. They got their revenge, however, taking the Cup back on Montreal Forum ice in 1989.

In all, Hunter played eleven seasons with the Flames, departing as the club's all-time leader in penalty minutes with 2,405. He then joined the Quebec Nordiques for the 1992-93 season before being claimed on waivers by the Vancouver Canucks halfway through the year.

He spent three and a half seasons with the Canucks and was an inspirational leader in helping his team to the Stanley Cup finals in 1994-95. He eventually left the Canucks in 1996 to sign with the San Jose Sharks where he retired from the NHL after a single campaign.

Since leaving the ice, Hunter has worked as an assistant to head coach Ron Wilson of the Washington Capitals.

REGULAR SEASON

PLAYOFFS

Season

Club

League

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

+/-

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

1977-78

Kamloops Chiefs

BCJHL

51

9

28

37

266

1977-78

Seattle Breakers

WCJHL

3

1

2

3

4

1978-79

Seattle Breakers

WHL

70

8

41

49

300

1979-80

Seattle Breakers

WHL

72

14

53

67

311

12

1

2

3

41

1980-81

Birmingham Bulls

CHL

58

3

5

8

236

1980-81

Nova Scotia Voyageurs

AHL

17

0

0

0

62

6

0

1

1

45

1981-82

Calgary Flames

NHL

2

0

0

0

9

0

1981-82

Oklahoma City Stars

CHL

55

4

12

16

222

1982-83

Calgary Flames

NHL

16

1

0

1

54

-2

9

1

0

1

70

1982-83

Colorado Flames

CHL

46

5

12

17

225

1983-84

Calgary Flames

NHL

43

4

4

8

130

0

7

0

0

0

21

1984-85

Calgary Flames

NHL

71

11

11

22

259

+14

4

0

0

0

24

1985-86

Calgary Flames

NHL

66

8

7

15

291

-9

19

0

3

3

108

1986-87

Calgary Flames

NHL

73

6

15

21

361

-1

6

0

0

0

51

1987-88

Calgary Flames

NHL

68

8

5

13

337

-8

9

4

0

4

32

1988-89

Calgary Flames

NHL

75

3

9

12

375

+22

19

0

4

4

32

1989-90

Calgary Flames

Fr-Tour

3

2

0

2

0

1989-90

Calgary Flames

NHL

67

2

3

5

279

-9

6

0

0

0

4

1990-91

Calgary Flames

NHL

34

5

2

7

143

+1

7

0

0

0

10

1991-92

Calgary Flames

NHL

30

1

3

4

167

+2

1992-93

Quebec Nordiques

NHL

48

5

3

8

94

-4

1992-93

Vancouver Canucks

NHL

26

0

4

4

99

+1

11

0

0

0

26

1993-94

Vancouver Canucks

NHL

56

3

4

7

171

-7

24

0

0

0

26

1994-95

Vancouver Canucks

NHL

34

3

2

5

120

+1

11

0

0

0

22

1995-96

Vancouver Canucks

NHL

60

2

0

2

122

-8

1996-97

San Jose Sharks

NHL

46

0

4

4

135

0

NHL Totals

815

62

76

138

3146

132

5

7

12

426

Claimed by Tampa Bay from Calgary in Expansion Draft, June 18, 1992. Traded to Quebec by Tampa Bay for future considerations (Martin Simard, September 14, 1992), June 19, 1992. Claimed on waivers by Vancouver from Quebec, February 12, 1993. Signed as a free agent by San Jose, July 23, 1996.